Syrian soldiers retake Homs gas fields from ISIL
Soldiers of the Syrian army have recaptured two major gas fields and a gas company in the central province of Homs.
The Syrian military forces backed by pro-government fighters “retook control of the Jhar and Mahr gas fields, as well as the Hayyan gas company in the east of Homs province,” said the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday.
“Jhar and Hayyan are particularly important because they feed Homs city and Damascus the gas supplies needed to produce electricity,” said the observatory’s director, Rami Abdel Rahman.
He added that the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were conducting heavy airstrikes against the ISIL positions amid fierce fighting between the two sides.
Late last week, the ISIL Takfiri militants took control of the facilities.
The army forces were continuing their advance in an effort to also retake the nearby Shaer gas field, according to reports by the Syrian media, which also said many Takfiri terrorists were killed there.
The ISIL terrorists control large areas of Syria and Iraq. The group first sent its militants into Iraq in June, seizing large parts of land along the border between the two countries.
The militants have been carrying out horrific acts of violence, including public decapitations and crucifixions against Iraqi communities such as Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians.
Since September 23, the US and its allies have been conducting airstrikes against the ISIL inside Syria without any authorization from Damascus or a UN mandate. The airstrikes are an extension of the US-led aerial campaign against ISIL positions in Iraq.
